Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers come with a major caveat—but what they show is instructive. Embry-Riddle Prescott's meteorology graduates start at $41,515, placing them at the 74th percentile nationally for this field. That's solid positioning for a program at a selective aeronautical university, though the $25,500 typical debt load means graduates carry about seven months of earnings into their careers. The 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio sits right at the threshold of manageable, assuming steady career progression.

What stands out is how closely these figures mirror national medians—this program essentially delivers the expected outcome for atmospheric sciences degrees. Given Embry-Riddle's aviation-focused curriculum and industry connections, students might reasonably expect a premium over typical meteorology programs, but that's not evident in the first-year numbers. The field itself tends to reward specialization and advanced degrees, so initial earnings may not tell the full story about long-term prospects in aviation weather, flight operations, or aerospace meteorology.

The small sample size is impossible to ignore. Year-to-year variations could be significant, and outliers can heavily skew these numbers either direction. If your student is serious about meteorology and drawn to Embry-Riddle's aviation angle, the debt burden is reasonable—but verify current outcomes directly with the school before committing to this particular path over established programs at larger universities with more predictable track records.